The oil mill as a sideline
The shed with oil mill attached to the south of the residential house probably received its present appearance in 1840 in the course of major remodeling measures by Konrad Jung. The mill itself, which Konrad acquired "second-hand" and which was originally water-powered, was probably installed in 1863.
Oil milling brings in money on the side
For the oil mill building itself, so-called second timbers were used in part, which can be read from the traces of use. They date from the middle of the 18th century, perhaps from a demolished house in the neighborhood. Along with cooperage, farming with livestock and distilling schnapps, oil milling was one of the sidelines of the Jung family. As a customer mill or contract beating mill, it processed the oil seed delivered by the Ottersdorf farmers into oil. The wages were paid in money, but more often in oil or oil cake, which - depending on the fruit - was used as fodder for the cattle or as fuel.
How was the oil extracted?
The steps of oil extraction - cleaning - grinding - pressing - have basically not changed until today. The oil fruits such as rapeseed, poppy, linseed, walnuts and, in times of need, also beechnuts, were pre-ground in the crusher (grist mill) depending on the fruit and then finely ground by two large millstones in the roller mill. The ground fruit was heated and the oil pressed out in the beater press.
Industrially produced oils displace domestic products
Peter Jung and his daughter Kunigunde, who did the work in the oil mill until her marriage in 1911, gave up the oil milling again at that time. The invention of the steam engine meant that industrially produced and partly imported oils made the previously very lucrative seasonal sideline unprofitable. The oil mill fell into a slumber until the architect Josef Seitz, who came from Ottersdorf, drew attention to the impressive technical and for the region rare cultural monument in 1963. It was to take more than 30 years until the completely untouched, but in the meantime badly dilapidated oil mill was restored and opened to the public in 1994.